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Browns land former Cardinals linebacker Quentin Groves

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Quentin Groves, who played for Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton last season, had four sacks in seven starts. He was originally a second-round pick of the Jaguars out of Auburn in 2008.
(Photo by Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns continued to bolster their defense today with the early-morning addition of former Cardinals linebacker Quentin Groves, who played for defensive coordinator Ray Horton in Arizona last season.

Groves (6-3, 265) signed a two-year deal worth a total of $2.8 million, a source told The Plain Dealer.

"Quentin is a solid player who will be another good addition to our front seven," Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said in a release. "He showed pass-rush ability last season, working in a 3-4 defense for the first time. Having played for Ray last year, he is familiar with our scheme, and that will allow him to make a smooth transition. He also has been a productive special-teams player and can help us in that area as well."

Browns CEO Joe Banner, who set out to beef up the Browns' pass rush, had Groves targeted from the start, a source said.

"Quentin gives us another player who will come in and improve our defense," Banner said in a release. "Not only will he help us on the defensive side of the ball, but he also will be a good addition for our special teams, where he has had success in his career. We are excited about the moves we have been able to make over the last two days and look forward to all three players becoming productive members of the Cleveland Browns."

The Quentin Groves file

Position: Outside linebacker.

Previous team: Cardinals.

Age: 28.

Height/weight: 6-3, 250.

College: Auburn.

Draft: Second round, 2008 (No. 52 overall).

NFL career: The Browns become Groves’ fourth team in six years. Previously played with Jacksonville, Oakland and Arizona. He enjoyed his best season last year under current Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton, registering four sacks and 41 combined tackles in 16 games, including seven starts. Groves was rated 19th among outside linebackers a year ago by Pro Football Focus.

Sources: Pro Football Reference, Pro Football Focus.

— Tom Reed

Groves was originally drafted by the Jaguars in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2008 draft out of Auburn.

He has appeared in 79 games with 29 starts, registering 152 tackles and 6.5 sacks during his five-year career with the Jaguars (2008-09), Raiders (2010-11) and Cardinals (2012).

Arizona's defense also ranked second in the NFL in interceptions (22) and third-down efficiency (32.9 percent), third in red-zone defense (44.4 percent) and fourth in takeaways (33). He also recorded seven quarterback hits last year.

Groves has totaled 28 career special-teams tackles, one special-teams fumble recovery and one blocked punt. He set a career-high with 11 special teams tackles in 2009. Last season, he recorded seven special-teams tackles and a blocked punt.

"That was like, 'OK, it's time for you to step up and be a man and take this thing serious, because the window is closing on you,' " he said.

The Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract for $700,000, and he vowed to give them more than their money's worth. Groves had started just seven games in two seasons in Jacksonville and was demoted in Oakland in 2011 after starting 12 games the year before.

When he did make a visit to the Giants last year, they told his agent he wasn't athletic enough to play in their system. But Groves used the snubs as kindling.

"I took it as motivation, one, and a humbling experience, two," Groves told the Republic. "I thought, 'Q, now you really have to get on your grind, get on your hustle. You have to realize you're not 'the guy' anymore."

Groves also cleaned up his act, cutting out the late nights that often took days to recover from.

"I just said, 'Man, cut the drinking out. If you go out, go out with your wife, have a nice glass of wine and chill. Don't try to buy a table and do all this extravagant stuff. Because at the end of the night, once the bottles are empty, the friends are gone, there's nobody left to foot that bill but you," he said. "And you have to say, 'OK, what was the point of all this?' "

Groves also wanted to be a good husband and good father to his two children.

The turnaround paid off for the Cardinals and now the Browns, where Groves will be re-united with Horton and play outside linebacker in his 3-4 scheme.

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